Raghupathi Bhat campaigns in masjid
Udupi, May 4: BJP candidate for Udupi assembly segment and former MLA K Raghupathi Bhat on Friday sought votes on the premises of Jamia Masjid here after the prayer.
Reacting to the statement of BJP leader KS Eshwarappa that BJP would not require Muslim votes, Raghupathi Bhat said that “I have never said that I don’t require Muslim votes. If it is case, I would not have campaigned in the masjid today. We require the votes of all communities and religions. Since the time of Haji Abdulla and Dr VS Acharya, there has been a cordial relationship in Udupi”, he said.
Identifying the works of BJP during the city municipal council administration and the government, all people, irrespective of castes and religions, have decided to elect BJP this time. He was getting expected support from the Muslim community, Bhat said.
'It’s not security reason'
MP Shobha Karandlaje might have said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not visit Udupi Sri Krishna Mutt due to security reasons. But it was not the case. Modi is not visiting any mutts or temples during election time as per the decision of the Prime Minister’s Office. It was not because of the security reason, he told reporters.
BJP leaders Karamath Ali, Dawood and others were present.
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Two FIRs lodged against Mithun Chakraborty for 'provocative' speech
Kolkata, Nov 6: Two FIRs have been lodged against actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty for allegedly making provocative statements during a BJP event in Salt Lake area near Kolkata last month, police said on Wednesday.
The complaints pertain to Chakraborty's speech on October 27 at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake, during a BJP programme attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Kolkata to launch the party's West Bengal membership drive.
The first FIR was filed at the Bidhannagar South police station based on a complaint by an individual, while the second was lodged at Bowbazar police station.
"We have started an investigation into the case," a senior officer of Bidhannagar police said.
Shah was also present at the programme, which was organised to kick off the West Bengal leg of the BJP's membership drive. Shah had also felicitated Chakraborty for being honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award this year.
Although Chakraborty was unavailable for comment, BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar described the FIRs a result of "vendetta politics.".
Majumdar alleged that the TMC government "has once again used the police to unfairly target well-known actor and senior BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty".
He accused the chief minister of employing such tactics "to serve political interests" and claimed that the state government's actions were part of an ongoing attempt to discredit political opponents.
"There is nothing provocative in his speech. These are nothing but attempts to intimidate him by using police as a political tool," he said.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh dubbed the BJP's allegations as baseless.
"The allegations of political vendetta are baseless. He shouldn't have made such provocative remarks. The law will take its own course," he said.
Chakraborty, who received India's highest film honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, earlier this year, had asserted on October 27 that the 'masnad' (throne) of West Bengal would belong to the BJP after the 2026 assembly elections, promising to do whatever it takes to achieve the goal.
While speaking at the programme, Chakraborty, a BJP leader, said, "In 2026, the 'masnad' will be ours, and we will do everything to achieve the goal."
In an apparent reference to TMC MLA Humayun Kabir's communal remarks aimed at BJP workers during the Lok Sabha elections, Chakraborty had allegedly made provocative remarks.
Chakraborty cautioned that no one should attempt to intimidate saffron party voters into abstaining from voting in the next assembly elections.
He called upon the booth-level workers of his party to resist any such attempts.
